The Wildlife Trusts and Northumberland Wildlife Trust have announced they have hit their £30m fundraising target for a “once in a generation opportunity” to buy a 9,500 acre estate in Northumberland for an “ambitious” nature recovery project.

The fundraising appeal to buy the Rothbury Estate, which is the size of Athens, launched two years ago and has seen the public raise more than £17m towards the purchase.

This is the largest fundraising campaign carried out by The Wildlife Trusts.

It has also been backed by a £5m National Lottery Heritage Fund grant handed to the charities in March.

In addition, this autumn the Department for Food and Rural Affairs awarded the initiative a grant of £1.94m.

Other backers include the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, Monday Charitable Trust, Samworth Foundation, Ringtons and anonymous philanthropists.

Broadcaster and conservationist Sir David Attenborough, who has been supporting, the appeal, said: “Now the opportunity to bring the vision of a landscape where nature and people thrive side by side can become a reality.

“This will be a place where nature, community, farming and heritage can combine to create something very special for generations to come.”

The project had also been referred by the UK government at the COP17 biodiversity summit for playing a significant role in helping the country reach a global target of protecting 30% of land and sea for nature by 2030.

The Wildlife Trusts have taken out a low interest loan to bridge the short-term funding gap between pledged monies still be to be received.

"Opportunities of this scale and significance are incredibly rare,” said Northumberland Wildlife Trusts chief executive Mike Pratt.

“By securing this extraordinary landscape, we've the potential to create a flagship for nature recovery supported by sustainable farming, whilst delivering lasting benefits for wildlife, local people and the rural economy for generations to come.

"It has been truly humbling to witness the support behind this vision. From individual donors to major funders and partners, people have come together in a shared belief that we can create something exceptional here.”

Work has already got underway in sections of the estate purchased by The Wildlife Trusts two years ago.

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